Car coupling



H. J. DAUBERT.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-.1920.

Patented Jan. W, 192-25,.

.l T F- E H 4 s T F- F. H s 3 INVENTOR ATIORNEY WlTNESS:

H. .I. DAUBERT.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. h 1920.

Patented Jan. M), 1922.,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mam so- INVENTOR A'ITORNEY WlTNESS:

H. 1. DAUBERT.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1920. q gg gga Patented Jan. 10,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY tlhlil stares earner @FFHQIEZ.

GAR CO'UILING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatenteol Jan. 1 0, 11922.

Application filed March 1, 1920. Serial No. 352,353.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY J. Dnn'nnnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tamaqua, in the county of Schuykill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has reference to guard couplers, and may be considered in the nature of an improvement upon United States Letters-Patents Nos. 944,953, dated December 28, 1909 and 960,077, dated May 31, 1910.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the mannor in which the ordinary coupler is brought to locking engagement with a coupler constructed in accordance with my invention, parts of the latter being in section.

Figure 2 is a plan View, partly in section illustrating the manner in which two couplers constructed in accordance with my invention are brought to interlocking engagement.

Figure 3 is a sectional view approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, the locking jaws for the tail of the knuckle being separated, in accordance with the improvement, to permit of the opening of the knuckle.

Figure 4 is a similar view but showing the jaws closed to hold the knuckle in locked position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the jaws, and the frame carrying the same, the jaws being in open position.

Figure 6 is a-sectional view approximately on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the slidable jaw opening bolt.

igure 8 is a plan view partly in section showing two couplers, in accordance with this invention locked together.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the frame for the locking jaws.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the guard arm.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the latch and the key.-

A great number of varying classes and styles of knuckle couplers are already installed on rolling stock, and as the construe tion set forth in my patents No. 944,953 and No. 960,077 will not automatically co-operate with such class of couplers the said patents are to this extent defective. By experiments I havefound that without materially changing the construction set forth in my patents, but by combining certain of the parts thereof and adding parts thereto I can produce a car coupler that will automatically couple with an ordinary coupler when the knuckle of the latter is locked, and consequently the coupling operation will not require the opening of the knuckles of either couplers. Therefore, in the following description, it will be necessary for me to refer to the construction recited in my patents where certain elements co-operate with elements that are necessary in carrying out my present invention.

We will now refer to the drawings in detail. In certain figures thereof I have shown two couplers which are constructed in accordance with my invention, and therefore it is to be understood that reference to the details of one of the couplers is equally applicable to the other coupler. In Figure 1 of the drawings I have shown my im proved coupler about to interlock with an ordinary knuckle coupler, and this latter member is for distinction indicated by the numeral 1.

My improved coupler includes a draw bar 2 having at its end an integral draw head 3, the latter, at one of its ends being provided with extensions that terminate in cars 4. Between the ears 4 there is pivoted, as at 5, the knuckle 6. The knuckle has a tail 7 that is normally received in the hollow draw head 3, and this tail has at its end a substantially V-shaped lip 8 that is received in a pocket 9 in the draw head 3, when the knuckle is in closed position. When in such position the lip 8 contacts with one of the arms, 9' of an angle lever 10 that is pivoted in the pocket as at 11. The upper arm of the angle lever projects through the pocket.

The knuckle 6 is retained in locked position by contact of the tail thereof with looking jaws 12 and 13 respectively. These jaws are pivoted each in a frame 14 that is seated, and retained in any desired manner, in the hollow draw bar 2. The lower jaw 13 has a weighted tail portion 15 that is received in the frame 14 and which influences the aw 13 to normally retain the same in a horizontal I are concaved, asat 16. The jaw 12 has a jaws.

slot therethrough, and in this slotis a lever 17', pivoted to the jaw 12, as at 18; The

lower end of the lever is received in the depression 16' or the jaw 13, the weight of the tail portion of the said jaw 13 normally infiuencing the lever to a position between the The outer end of the lever has attached thereto, through the medium of a ring, a pin 18 which projects through a suitable opening in the top of the draw head.

The pin 18 has at its outer end a flexible element, such as a chain 19, which may lead to any convenientpart of the car for operation by the brakeman for opening the jaws 13 and 12 and for permitting the opening of the knuckle 6. It is one of the important fea-.

tures of the invention that the entrance of a brakeman between the cars to be coupled is not required, and consequentlyaccidents or disasters incident to the coupling of two cars in this manner will be eliectively obviated. It will be observed that when a pull is ex erted on the chain 19 the lever 17 will be turned to first swing the upper jaw 12 to open position and then swing the lower jaw 13 away from the jaw 12. The movement of the first mentioned jaw brings the same into contact with the upper arm of the angle lever 10,'so that the lower arm 9 thereof will contact with the lip 8 on the end of the tail 7 and swing the coupler 6 to open position, or at least give the coupler initial start in such direction.

The guard arm which is engaged by the knuckle of a co-operating coupler to bring the knuckles of both couplers in interengagement, is indicated by the numeral 20. The guard arm has an inner arcuate face and has at its inner end a barrel 21 that is received in a pocket 22 formed on the side of the head 3 opposite that provided with the ears #1. Through the barrel is passed a pin 23 that pivotally secures the guard arm to the draw head. The guard arm is provided with a v foot portion 24 that contacts with the walls 7 26. On this lug is apin 27.

of a notch 25 at one end of the pocket for limiting the swinging of the guard arm in the direction of the knuckle. On the lower end of the barrel 21 is an outstanding lug Receiving the pin 27 1s the notched end 28 of a slidable bolt 29. The bolt has its outer and active end beveled from its center to its opposite edges, thus providing the same with what may be termed an arrow head and which is indicated by the numeral 30. The frame 14 has one of its side members providedwith an opening '31 through which the arrow head passes,

when the guard arm is moved to one position. The aw'jmembers 12 and 13 have their sides,

(opposite the opening, 31' provided with angle or v shap'ed notches 33, and in. these notches the arrow head end of the bolt 29 is received when the bolt is moved to spread the jaws 12 and 13 awayfrom each other.

In the pocket 22, at the outer and, if desired, open end thereof there is pivoted, as at 33 a latch member 3 1-. This latch, opposite its pivot 33 has an upstanding beak 35, and from its pivot is provided with an elongated weighted body, the outer end of which being formed with a downturned beak 36. This last mentioned beak is designed to engage with the inner andstraight edge of the lug 26 on the guard arm 20.

Pivoted in the pocket 22, as indicated by the numeral 37 r is a jkey 38 that passes through an opening in the outer face of the draw head 3, and that rests on the outer edge of the latch 341 in a position for contacting engagement with the beak 35 of the; said latch. The key comprises an elongated member, having its outer end widened and struck at slight curvature or angle, as indicated by the numeral 3 L The inneredge of the key 33, or the edge thereof disposed opposite the guard arm is rounded inwardly, or concaved as at 10. v

It will be apparent that an outward swing of the key 38 will turn the latch 34011 its pivot 33 so that the beak 36 thereoi will be brought out 01' en agement with the lug of the guard opening. This permits of the outward swinging or opening of the guard arm. In such movement of the guard arm the bolt 29 will be moved longitudinally so that the arrow head thereot will enter between the jaws 12 and 13, spreading .the jaws away from each other, causing the upper jaw to contact with the horizontal arm of the angle lever 10, swinging the imam bring the v arm 9 in engagementwith the lip on the tail of the knuckle and permit of the tail of the knuckle traveling between the jaws to an open position. When a co-operatin'g coupler, either oftheordinary class as disclosed in Figure 1 of the drawings, engaging the knuckle is in locked position, is brought to position to lock with my improved coupler, the knuckle thereof will first contact with. the curved end of the key which will direct the same against the outer arcuate face of the guard arm, the said guard arm guiding the knuckle between the draw head and the knuckle of my improved coupler; The contacting engagement of the knuckle with the foot portion 24 of the guard arm willcause the said guard arm to be swung to its initial closed position, permitting the latch 3 1 to drop by gravity so that its beak 36 will engage with and lock the guard arm. j This, of course,brings the bolt frombetween the jaws 12 and 13, permitting the jaws to close. In the event that the knuckle 6 is partly open and the tail portion thereof is'between the jaws, the knuckle of the cooperating coupler will Contact with the said tail and 'jmdve the i same from between the jaws, thus bringing the end of the tail against the sides of th jaws locking the knuckle G, and consequently locking the knuckle of the co-operating coupler.

The bolt passes through an opening in the inner wall of the pocket for the guard arm, key and latch, and has its head at all times in the opening in the lock frame. Consequently the bolt holds the frame in position in the draw bar.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with a car coupler, including a pivoted knuckle; of locking and releasing means therefor, said locking means including two gravity influenced jaws disposed for contacting engagement with the tail of the knuckle, means connected to one of the aws designed when actuated to influ ence both of the jaws to open the same and to permit of the tail of the knuckle moving between the jaws, and said releasing means including a pivoted guard arm, latching means therefor, and a bolt connected to and influenced by the guard arm and disposed to enter between and spread the jaws when the guard arm is released and swung to open position. 7

2. In combination with a car coupler, including a pivoted knuckle; of locking and releasing means therefor, said locking means including a frame, two jaws pivoted thereto,

the underlying jaw having a weighted extension, a pivoted lever carried by the overlying jaw and contacting with the underlying jaw, means extending through the coupler for operating the lever whereby to swing both the jaws to open position and to permit the tail of the knuckle passing therebetween, the releasing means including a pivoted guard arm, a pivoted key disposed to the outer side thereof, latching means between the key and guard arm, and actuated by the latter, a slidable bolt having an angle end removably associated with the guard arm, guide means between the frame and bolt, and the angle end of the said bolt being disposed to enter between the jaws to swing the same to open position when the guard arm is in released position, and to permit of the tail of the knuckle traveling between the said 3. In combination with. a car coupler, including a pivoted knuckle, locking means therefor disposed in the draw bar of the coupler, a pivoted guard arm, a pivoted key dis posed to the outer side of the guard arm, and latching means between the key and guard arm; of means operated by the guard arm when swung to released position for influencing the locking means to release the knuckle, and said lock releasing means retaining the locking means in the draw bar.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

HARRY J. DAUBERT. 

